MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Prosecutors in South Carolina say they have dropped charges against a man accused of throwing a rock and damaging a San Diego Chargers' linebacker's car.

They offered no explanation for dropping the charge of malicious injury to personal property against 18-year-old Colby Sarvis. He was accused of traveling along a highway and throwing a rock at Anthony Waters' car in July.

Waters is a former Clemson standout who the Chargers took in the third round of the NFL draft this past spring.

Waters and another man have been charged with hitting Sarvis. No court dates have been set.

“The simple fact is we played some monster teams,” linebacker Shaun Phillips said.

Compare their opponents' combined winning percentage of .535 to .434 last season.

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But it is also a fact that teams generally do much better against lesser opponents. New England might be strong enough to be 12-0 against any schedule, but the one they have is sort of weak (.472 opponents' winning percentage). The Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) have played opponents with a combined .396 winning percentage.

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The Chargers have had AFC's third-toughest schedule, based on opponents' winning percentage:

The interior of the Chargers' defensive line, with DT Jamal Williams, vs. the front line of the Titans, with C Kevin Mawae -- Much of this game will be decided between these two Pro Bowlers. Mawae will be looking to clear some room by clearing out Williams, which few people are able to do. If Mawae isn't successful, the Chargers will have a better chance of shutting down the run, especially if the Titans lean on RB LenDale White. The bruising White makes his yards between the tackles and will be expecting Mawae to open up something in the middle. But that is easier said than done against the immovable Williams.

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Shammy note: If y'all remember, Big Jamal had a very good game against Mawae the last few times they've matched up.

The nickname might seem better suited for notorious NFL troublemakers like Chris Henry and Pacman Jones. But before anyone checks the San Diego police blotter for bad news, an explanation is in order.

Crime Time refers to Cromartie's penchant for stealing wayward passes, and perhaps the only way to stop him is handcuffs.

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More importantly, how can you keep a rising star grounded? Recently, Cromartie signed a few autographs "Crime Time.'' But when a visitor mentioned it, he broke into a sheepish grin and blamed a teammate.

"Cletis Gordon, right there,'' Cromartie said Wednesday, pointing at a fellow defensive back as the Chargers walked off the practice field. "He's the one.''

About four weeks ago, the Chargers defensive backs were gathered in their corner of the locker room when Gordon noted that Cromartie had six interceptions and needed a real nickname rather than "Cro,'' as most people call him. The new moniker, Crime Time, came to Gordon as fast as Cromartie can snatch an errant pass out of midair.

"Because he's robbing quarterbacks,'' Gordon explained. Or as he told the NFL's interception leader the day he came up with the nickname, "You're stealing picks.''

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Yet, here's something that should really unnerve Manning and other victims of Crime Time: His athleticism has masked his inexperience. Though he draws praise for his work ethic on and off the field, Cromartie apparently has a lot to learn before he masters his position.

"The sky's the limit for him,'' said Bradley, a former All-Pro defensive back who clearly relishes tutoring the emerging star. "It's fun to see him mature and develop as a Pro Bowl type player and he's earned the right to be that.

"He's very diligent in the scouting room, in the defensive meeting rooms. He's diligent in his work and he's painstaking in learning what's going to be thrown at him.''

He's also quick to point out his own deficiencies, such as tackling – "that's my downfall,'' Cromartie said – and humble when asked about the comparisons to Prime Time.

"It's a great accomplishment just to be compared to him at this time, early in my career,'' Cromartie said before pointing out, "I'm not Deion.''

Starting right guard Mike Goff was a limited practice participant and plans to play Sunday. Goff has made 61 consecutive starts since joining the Chargers in 2004 and said he expects to play every snap against the Lions.

"If it comes to the point where I would be hurting the team, then that's when I would put the streak behind because this is more important than any one person," Goff said. "It's something I take self-pride in. I've been able to play through some things and I look forward to continuing that but if there ever comes a time where I don't think I can go, I just need to accept that. If somebody can do it better than I can, then it's time for me to step aside."

"He's the same kind of physical presence that Lorenzo brings," Tomlinson said earlier this week. "He's a guy that actually is a little bit heavier than Lorenzo so he can get in there and bang heads as well."

The 5-foot-10, 250-pound Pinnock is at the top of the depth chart for the first time in his five-year NFL career. It's an opportunity that he has been craving.

"I feel as if every week, when I'm practicing against the defense, I treat it as if it's a real situation and as if I was with the starting offense just to prepare me for this moment," Pinnock said.

"Unfortunately, it happened the way it happened. I have all the respect for Lorenzo. I believe that he made me a better fullback, just watching everything he does."

Pinnock, 27, threw the block that freed Tomlinson on the game-winning 16-yard overtime touchdown run in last Sunday's victory over Tennessee. Yet Pinnock never intended to be an NFL fullback.

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"When I got here, I figured out, 'OK, my role is a fullback. Fullback first, occasionally a halfback,'" said Pinnock, "and I felt like I needed to learn how to be a better fullback.

"Although I was behind Lorenzo for five years, it was almost the best situation for me to learn how to be a fullback and be a pro and to prepare and be ready for Sundays."

Hey .... Acee finally answered another one of my questions in his mailbag. He's been ignoring me for a month or so. Oh, and I really did sign it from "Shamrock - Cow Pasture, TX"

Question

Kevin,
I was at the game as well. I disagree with you about Odom's hit on PR. I think he took that extra step and then turned his body to get the full force of his weight into Rivers.

The Vandenbosch hit on Lo Neal that broke his leg was just a "football play" and wasn't dirty.

Ttian #84 got away with a hit over a second after the whistle on Buster Davis' punt return. A low blow as well.

#31 Finnegan took a cheap shot at Chambers head while Chambers was on the ground on a sliding catch along the sideline at the end of the first quarter. That should draw a fine as well.

There were a lot of extracurricular hits, but Mawae is the real culprit, and expect a heavy fine and possible suspension for the Titans center. He took out Jamal from behind. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it, and it reminded me of the Denver player who did that to big 96 a few years back. Then, Mawae was the one who took a dive at Merriman's legs that was his last play. The media is focusing on the crack back block, but that wasn't the play the Chargers are real ticked about.

Why did this ref crew let so much go? It was the hardest hitting game I've ever attended, but the "extra" hits after the whistle were just obnoxious. Does the NFL announce any punishment for the referees? This crew deserves to get canned.

Shamrock / Cow Pasture, TX

Answer

OK. Some others do too. But I watched it live, on TV replays, on DVR and then on the game tape. I contend it was inadvertent.

You're right about Vanden Bosch on Lorenzo.

The hit on Buster was late, but we don't know if he had been whistled down. And if he had not, the Titan that came in had no way of knowing whether Buster was down by contact. I think he was down. I think it was a late hit. But I'm telling you why it wasn't called.

I thought the hit on Chambers was cheap. But, again, I've seen that almost every Sunday I've been in a stadium.

From my perspective, the hit on Jamal looked bad. Mawae was getting killed by Jamal.

As for the hit on Merriman, I don't know whether it was ordered. But I do know it was worthy of multiple penalties -- perhaps clipping and a late hit by Mawae and holding on Stewart.

I agree with you the refs let the game get away from them.

And I wondered what they were looking at when Stewart (No.76) was hitting people after plays all day.

"I told Norv to run a play straight at them," Tomlinson said. "I told the linemen to get under them and don't let any penetration happen, because I was going to go over the top."

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Norv went for the kill on that fourth down attempt. Norv listened to his best player, and granted him his wish for the play call. Put the ball in the hands of your best player and trust in him. That play makes a big statement about this team, and this coach.

"Vincent is a big body and a heck of a receiver," Chargers head coach Norv Turner said. "He's improved. He's grown. I think Chris Chambers has helped Vincent, to be honest with you. When Chris first got here, it was hard on Vincent. He kind of saw himself as the guy, and it took a couple weeks ---- two or three ---- to realize this thing is enough for everybody. He's stepped up and is playing at a real high level."

While Chambers' arrival might have been seemed like a knock on Jackson, he says Chambers has been "a great asset" who has helped immensely throughout the season.

The mentor has been witness to Jackson's improvement.

"(I've seen) at lot of growth," Chambers said. "He doesn't get as many balls as he probably wants with myself, Gates and L.T. ... But I'm just excited for him because he works so hard and he has the ability to be a great receiver in this league. He has the size, the speed, the hands, and I'm glad to work alongside him."

Have you been wondering how Adam Vinatieri, perhaps the top clutch kicker in NFL history, missed that chip-shot, 29-yard field goal at the end of the Chargers' victory over Indianapolis in November? Turner jokingly provided the reason on Sunday. "I yelled, 'Miss!' when Vinatieri kicked that last field goal," Turner said. "I yelled as loud as I could, and he pushed it right."

Birthday boy

Chargers right guard Mike Goff turned 32 on Sunday and couldn't think of a better birthday gift than being part of the franchise's first playoff victory in 13 years. "Absolutely," Goff said. "To get something like that accomplished and have it be at home and get that monkey off your back is a great feeling."

Key stat

1: Postseason victory for Norv Turner as Chargers coach, one more than Marty Schottenheimer.

Third time's a charm

This is just third time in franchise history that the Chargers have had at least two 100-yard receivers in a playoff game.

The throng of reporters in the Chargers' locker room was unprecedented. But one scene never changes -- minority owner George Pernicano fiddling with his cigars, eager to give them out to his winning boys.

NFL Network will replay Sunday's Chargers-Titans game at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific) Wednesday as part of its "NFL Replay'' series. The 90-minute show features the original CBS telecast plus sideline and on-field sound, and highlights from the postgame press conferences.

Last weekend's other wild-card games also will be replayed, with Jaguars-Steelers at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Redskins-Seahawks at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Giants-Bucs at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

"Me and Kris knew if we didn't handle Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth, we weren't going to win," McNeill said. "They stunted a lot, especially on third down. They had a lot of success with that in the first game, so me and Kris knew that they were going to come back to it. But other than one time I could think about, we really handled it very well."

“We wanted to put the ball in Rivers’ hands and make him be the one to beat us,” linebacker Keith Bulluck said. “And he did a pretty good job of that.”

“He made those same big plays when I played with him in college,” said linebacker Stephen Tulloch, Rivers’ teammate at North Carolina State. “He wasn’t the fourth pick in the first round of the draft for nothing.”

.....

“That pocket was there just about every time I dropped back,” Rivers said.

“I think Rivers did a good job protecting himself,” Bulluck said. “He was able to buy time a few times with his feet. But we had breakdowns and missed assignments, and that’s what beat us today.”

"Norv was brought here in an odd situation," Tomlinson said, referring to the unexpected firing of predecessor Marty Schottenheimer this past February after a 14-2 regular season in 2006 was tarnished by a 24-21, first-round playoff loss to New England. "It was 'Either get us back in the playoffs and win a game in the playoffs or you're a failure.' And that was (the situation) he was given. . .

"Norv got the raw end of the (deal). When people (Chargers fans) started booing him and yelling 'Marty!" earlier this season, that was unfair."

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And now the Chargers head to Indianapolis on Sunday to face the defending Super Bowl champions, with a berth in the AFC title game on the line.

Do they have a chance?

Are you kidding? Not only do the Chargers have a coach who is undefeated in the playoffs, they have a coach who is undefeated against the Colts.

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Parting shot: Schottenheimer was unavailable for comment, but I'm guessing he would have said, "I would have kicked the field goal."

In the locker room afterward, players spoke of how they felt better prepared going into this game than they had last year. More relaxed. More unified. More equipped to handle setbacks within a game.

Smith stood nearby. With the steely smile of a politician, he denied ever being overly worried about the outcome. But his voice was flat. It was the voice of a man who'd just been through plenty of tense moments.

"Coaching made a difference," he said, speaking admiringly of the adjustments his team had made at halftime. Turner, he said, had found a way to get the passing game going and a way to make Tomlinson look good.

"Coach Turner knows how to keep the ball in players' hands," Smith said. "He doesn't panic. You stay the course. You don't just say this is not a good day for the running game or the passing game so you abandon it. He knows how to manage a game. I feel good about that."

I've read posters and pundits claim LT was "visibly upset" at the Chargers not going for it on 4th down when the score was 6-0. Was LT really upset at Norv for not going for it, or ticked off at some boo-birds in the stands? Let's see what LT has to SAY on that matter ....

After a first half in which the underdog Titans dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage and forged a 6-0 lead that should have been bigger, the Chargers finally started moving the ball through the air. On the first drive of the third quarter, San Diego faced a fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 2-yard line, and coach Norv Turner called for the field goal unit.

As Nate Kaeding's 20-yard kick sailed through the uprights, some of the fans at Qualcomm started to boo.

"No, crowd, shut up!" Tomlinson screamed on the sidelines. "We need to put some points on the board."

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There was just the small matter of needing to convince Turner to give him the ball. After the game, as he headed out into the players' parking lot at Qualcomm, Tomlinson said he believed Turner had already decided to kick the field goal before his lobbying effort began.

"I told him, 'Just do a play straight ahead at them,'" Tomlinson recalled. "And that was it. He did it."

You bet your sweet headset he did.

High up in a luxury box, Tomlinson's brother, LaVar, knew what was coming. "He's going over," LaVar told his brother's wife, LaTorsha.

She didn't smile in response.

As he prepared to take the handoff, LT knew the literal hit he was about to take from the Titans would likely pale in comparison to the figurative pounding he was going to get later from his spouse.

"She doesn't like that play," he explained. "One time, in my first or second year here, she saw me jump and it looked like I broke my neck. Ever since then she's been saying, 'Don't do it anymore.'"

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Silver gives LT the credit for the win, with some minor consideration and props to Norv Turner. Yet, from watching the game, this win should be credited to Philip Rivers more than any other player.

As Sunday showed, they'll go as far as Tomlinson's legs – and, in this case, his right arm – can carry them.

To the credit of Turner and Rivers, they didn't lower their heads or show frustration during the offense's first-half struggles. Early on, Tomlinson wanted to test the resolve of his beleaguered quarterback. After two three-and-outs, Tomlinson asked Rivers what was seeing out on the field.

Calmly, Rivers said he was seeing the Titans playing a lot of Cover One and Cover Three defenses. With that response, Tomlinson felt relieved. He knew his quarterback was assimilating information. It was only a matter of time before positive yardage would start happening.

"There was a big story in the paper today about the X-factor," Turner said. "Philip was the X-factor. He played his *** off."

No. The Chargers need their Pro Bowl tight end on the field because he's the one player who opens up their passing game. A trade for wide receiver Chris Chambers has helped ease some of the burden, but Gates is still the man quarterback Philip Rivers looks to most often.

Without Gates, Rivers -- who has struggled at different times this season -- won't be nearly as comfortable against the Colts. Gates is the kind of athletic tight end who can create all kinds of matchup problems for a Cover 2 scheme.

The question now is how seriously Gates was injured in the win over Tennessee. He was carted off the field with an injured left toe and coach Norv Turner said after the game that the tight end will be questionable for Sunday.

In his absence against the Titans, the Chargers still managed to get big games from Chambers (six receptions, 121 yards) and Vincent Jackson (five catches for 114 yards and one touchdown), but that won't be so easy to do against Indianapolis. The Colts have one of the best pass defenses in the NFL and cornerbacks Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden have the size to match up with bigger wide receivers.

2. How badly do the Colts need Marvin Harrison back on the field?

It's hard to say a team badly needs a player back when they've won 13 games, but the Colts have to be breathing easier with the knowledge that Harrison is improving. A left knee injury has sidelined him since Oct. 22, and that's a long time to go with out a future Hall of Famer.

Let's put it this way: The Colts can advance to the AFC Championship game without Harrison, but they aren't going much further without him. As proof, just think of what he could've meant to Indianapolis in the loss to New England earlier this season.

The word out of Indianapolis is that Harrison should be good to go. Colts president Bill Polian has told local media that Harrison's knee is fine and that the team isn't worried about him being rusty once he returns.

Still, there was talk that Harrison was going to play a few snaps in a season-ending loss to Tennessee before team trainers nixed the idea after his pregame workout. The Colts have to pray that another setback doesn't prevent Harrison from taking the field this time around.

3. How much will the Colts benefit from the bye week?

Harrison wasn't the only Indianapolis player who needed the rest. The Colts sat several injured starters in that Tennessee game -- including defensive tackle Raheem Brock, defensive end Robert Mathis and safety Antoine Bethea -- so that means most of the Colts will be fully healed when this game kicks off.

That wasn't the case when San Diego beat Indianapolis 23-21 on Nov. 16. The Chargers intercepted Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning six times in that contest and we're thinking Manning would like to face the San Diego defense with all his weapons this time around.

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An inherent weakness in the Tampa-2 system is getting good TE's to work the middle and seam routes. Yes, Gates will be missed. However, I'd expect Norv to use some 3 WR formations, with Davis in the slot, and have him work those areas we'd normally see Gates. In the Super Bowl, Dungy did just that against the Bears Tampa-2 system.

This game basically came down to two plays. The first one was a great Shawne Merriman punch-out, creating a fumble inside San Diego's 10-yard line late in the first half. Chris Brown's fumble, which was recovered by San Diego's Shaun Phillips, prevented the Titans from potentially taking a 10-0 lead. The second play was LaDainian Tomlinson's second-effort on a fourth-and-1 dive at the goal midway through the fourth quarter. The Titans, especially linebacker Stephen Tulloch, stoned L.T. on his dive. They stopped him well short of the end zone. However, L.T. wasn't down and the whistle hadn't blown. L.T. then stretched his arms and the ball over the white line for a touchdown.

Some fans, especially those in Tennessee, will question this call — one that was immediately challenged by Fisher — but it was the correct call. Why? Because runners are knocked back all the time, before regaining their balance in order to continue their forward run. It happened numerous times in this game but in the open field. The goalline dive is no different from any of those runs. The officials definitely made the right call.

"I don't look at it as vindication," Spanos said afterward. "I'm just happy for the team, happy for Norv. He overcame a lot. He's coach of the year, in my mind. He did a spectacular job."

The reality, of course, is that the Chargers, who will play the Colts Sunday in Indianapolis, are no further along in the playoffs than they were a year ago. They're back in the divisional round, where they were beaten 24-21 by New England last season, after earning a bye in the first round.

Still, Smith and Spanos feel the team has made strides on two fronts: First, the players finally walked it instead of talking it in the playoffs; and second, Turner proved to be better at postseason game management.

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Turner impressed management and players with his cool under fire.

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A second example came early in the fourth quarter, when tailback LaDainian Tomlinson was ruled down at the Titans' 1 on third-and-goal from the 10. When Turner challenged the call, most people thought it was because he believed Tomlinson had crossed the goal line. Wrong.

"I challenged it because I wanted some time," Turner said. "Sometimes the officials might not see it right, but what I really wanted to do was get everyone together and come up with the best play. L.T. said, 'I want to go over the top,' and what we ran was different from what our first play would have been on the goal line. We had a play where the guard pulls, and it's hard to go over the top. So we ran a blast play right at them, and I just thought with our offensive line and LT we would get in over the top.

"But again, I wanted time. If we're going for it, let's make sure we get everyone on the same page. (Tight end Antonio) Gates was out, so we had to adjust our goal-line package and then come up with the best play."

.....

"I always felt like if I told him something, he'd believe in me," Tomlinson said afterward. "I just always got that sense from the very first time I walked in here my rookie year (when Turner was the offensive coordinator) and he said, 'Hey, we're going to give it to you now. I've seen you play a lot in college, and we're going to give it to you.' I've always had that confidence, that belief in him, and so when I went over and told him I'm going to jump -- just do a play straight ahead -- he said, 'OK, we're going to do it.' I don't think there was any doubt in my mind that he would do it."

It was those types of decisions, the ability to differentiate between being aggressive and reckless, that contributed to Smith, the general manager, recommending Turner for the head coaching job. "I don't feel any vindication," Smith said afterward.

"I see an outstanding football coach that's very poised, always consistent, always the same, always even-keeled, knows how to put the ball in playmakers' hands and always knows when playmakers are taken away to stay the course and just keep sawing wood," Smith said. "His leadership has been incredible."

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Some great quotes from Trotter .... many that are expanded or non-existant elsewhere.

NOW THAT I've made airline and hotel reservations, the Spanos Goofs and I are going to be in Indy together for the Chargers' final game of the season.

Craig Kelley, the Colts PR director, e-mailed Monday to say that if I needed a parking pass, I should get it from the Chargers. No problem, I had already taken it for granted the Goofs and I would be car-pooling.

.....

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A whole lotta nothing, except his own animosity for the Spanos family.

So now we know what happens when you take star running back LaDainian Tomlinson away from the San Diego Chargers. Philip Rivers, that's what; and the results aren't what you might imagine.

They're certainly not what Tennessee imagined. The Titans entered their playoff game with San Diego determined to make Rivers, not Tomlinson, beat them -- and that's exactly what he did.

.....

"I thought Philip Rivers played his *** off," said coach Norv Turner.

That's one way of putting it. Another is that he played the way his critics said he couldn't -- making the big plays, the right reads and the accurate throws. So he threw as many interceptions (one) as touchdown passes. He completed five passes of 25 or more yards to shred the Tennessee defense and defuse the Titans' strategy.

.....

"He showed a lot of poise, and he was confident," said Tomlinson. "I was impressed."

So were a lot of people -- including some who dressed in the Tennessee locker room. But that's why the Chargers never blinked when they lost Rivers' predecessor, Drew Brees, to free agency. They believed in Rivers, and they believed he could take them where they are now.

"I was impressed with his composure, his accuracy and his poise in the pocket," said Turner. "We didn't get L.T. going early, but it didn't stop us from doing what we want to do."

Precisely. And that's a big step forward for the San Diego Chargers and their quarterback.

The people who work with Turner had seen his lighter side long before the television cameras zoomed in on his sideline dance Sunday.

“People say that I’m not emotional,” Turner said Monday. “Here’s the thing. I’m in the game and I’m not only making the game-management decisions for the team, but I’m making the decisions offensively with the help of our coaches, and I can’t be distracted.

“You’ve got to have your attention on what’s happening. I can’t be yelling and screaming and keeping running up and down the sideline and patting guys, because there’s always something else that needs to be done.”

They are not Marty Schottenheimer's Chargers. Or Norv Turner's Redskins. Or the team that lost three straight in a tough September stretch.

This a team that won a postseason game Sunday for the first time in its last five tries, 17-6 over the Tennessee Titans, and a team that looks like it could win another one next Sunday in Indianapolis.

Pro Bowl fullback Lorenzo Neal could be available for Sunday's game. Neal suffered a broken fibula against Tennessee on Dec. 9.

"Lorenzo Neal has progressed to where he'll be able to practice Wednesday and we'll see how it goes during the week with him," Turner said. "If he can handle a practice and be able to go two or three days in a row and respond, then there's a chance that he'll be able to play in the game."

...

Turner promised that his dancing career is over.

"I'll restrain from doing that again," he said. "ABC called this morning -- 'Dancing with the Stars' or some show like that -- but I declined."

...

Coach Norv Turner praised his offensive line in general and LT Marcus McNeill in particular for a fine job of pass blocking against Tennessee. "Marcus McNeill came up big and had an outstanding game," Turner said. "He had the type of game that people look at and say, 'That guy is a Pro Bowl player.' " McNeill didn't allow a sack to Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, who had three sacks when the teams met in December.

LB Shaun Phillips said the Chargers' work is far from done. "We're feeling good, but like I've been telling everybody all week, we're smirking and not smiling," he said. "It's just one playoff win and if we're satisfied with just one playoff win, then we should just pack our bags right now."

Turner wanted to see playoff success for his players, especially for two of the team’s older stars, seven-year veteran LaDainian Tomlinson and 10-year nose tackle Jamal Williams. Turner first met the perennial Pro Bowlers when he spent a year as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2001.

Philip Rivers was walking along the corridor beneath Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday night when he caught up with Norv Turner.

Hardly a hello had passed between them before they were immersed in talk of the wild-card playoff game that had just passed. In an instant, they were like two sorority girls, except their animated conversation was of plays that were and could have been, routes and blitzes and corners and shifts.

Turner bid Rivers farewell after a while, and Rivers headed into the rainy night, then home, where his father waited. The two men stayed up for a time, rehashing the Chargers' 17-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
Neither Norv Turner nor Philip Rivers' dad, Steve Rivers, gets too upset when the Chargers quarterback starts yapping on the sideline, as he does here in the Nov. 25 Ravens game.
The next morning, Rivers drove his dad, Steve, and sister, Anna, to the airport. Along the way there was football talk. But they mostly talked of other things – Anna's sleepover the week before and younger brother Steven's basketball game.

As Philip Rivers got out to help with the luggage at the curb, just before the skycap recognized him and came over with a cap to sign, Steve Rivers turned to his son and said, “Let's go now. Let's get ready this week. Y'all don't get relaxed.”

Question
Regarding Kris Dielman's chop block on Albert Haynesworth in the first half. Do you feel that the illegal block was intentionally designed to take the edge off Haynesworth pass rush, especially since he was coming off multiple leg injuries, by making Haynesworth more cautious? If so, do you feel it worked?

Yeah, I expect to see the "real" Manning too .... the one who has historically struggled againt the 3-4, and especially against the Chargers version of the 3-4. But, it's not what I think .... how about what Tony Dungy thinks ....

But Colts coach Tony Dungy admits that the Chargers' aggressive and diverse front seven could cause headaches. The Chargers' ability to pester quarterbacks is among the links to their NFL-best 30 interceptions.

"We've had difficulty with good 3-4 teams that have good players, and that's the difficulty of it,'' Dungy said. "It's when you're blocking Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips and (Jamal) Williams, whether they're in a 4-3 or 3-4, they're going to cause you problems.

"But the 3-4, you have four guys that can come at any time. You have to know who's coming and who isn't. They can get you with your backs blocking those guys at times, just having four different guys that can come without having to blitz and be in man-to-man coverage. It's a system that has a lot of variations in it, it has a lot of different things that they can do, and it's one that if you're not familiar with it and you don't play it a lot, it can cause you some problems.

"But the main thing is, it's not necessarily identifying who to block; it's getting it done and getting those special guys blocked."

There is a whole lotta arrogance eminating out of Indy, even from their "journalists" .... They are just handing the "no respect" card to the Chargers. You'd think they would have learned from the Pats usage of that angle, even when the Pats used it without cause.

Talking to Shawne Merriman on Monday, he couldn't stress enough the impact a healthy Luis Castillo makes on the Chargers defense. He also gave major props to his running mate Shaun Phillips for disrupting the Tennessee flow.

Merriman made the play of the game when he forced a Chris Brown fumble inside the 10 yard line at the end of the first half with the Titans up 3-0. I thought for sure Tennessee was en route to the end zone. That play changed the entire game.

I hadn’t planned to do this week’s Every Play Counts on Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips, but he made my choice for me.

I started watching the tape of the Chargers’ 17-6 victory over the Titans Sunday with a couple of other ideas in mind, but it just became impossible to ignore Phillips. He was all over the field, fighting off blocks, delivering huge hits, and basically making life miserable for the Titans offense. He finished the game with nine tackles and a fumble recovery, and all in all he had one of the best games I’ve seen from a defensive player this year.

1. Tom Brady -- The league's newly minted MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

2. Peyton Manning -- Somehow overlooked this season despite winning one more game in the regular season than he did during the Colts' Super Bowl run of last year (13-3 to 12-4).

3. Brett Favre -- A renaissance season for the ages for No. 4.

4. Eli Manning -- Riding two games worth of confidence and momentum into Dallas. :icon_shrug::icon_huh:

5. Tony Romo -- One touchdown pass, five interceptions, five sacks, three fumbles, one sore thumb and one over-exposed girlfriend (you know what we mean) in his past three games. For a second straight December, he went from Romo to No-Mo (as in, no momentum).

6. Matt Hasselbeck -- He owns four playoff wins in the past three seasons, and that's more than all but Peyton Manning among this group of passers.

7. David Garrard -- Pretty shaky first career playoff start last week at Pittsburgh, but he's coming off a superb and highly underappreciated season.

8. Philip Rivers -- A strong second half against Tennessee not only saved the Chargers, but it made Rivers the first San Diego quarterback since Stan Humphries (remember him?) to win a playoff game.

latter there's this:

One more potentially revealing nugget: The Patriots are 4-0 in the divisional round when they're either first- or second-seeded. The Colts are 0-2 in the same situation, losing to Tennessee in '99 as the No. 2 seed and to Pittsburgh in '05 as the No. 1. The Pats and Colts are 1-2 in this year's AFC.

"We're getting Antonio ready to play," Turner said of Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game at Indianapolis. "He's making progress. He's going through all his treatments and all those things and we'll see where he's at later in the week. But he's making good progress and I have hope that he'll be able to play."

.....

The Chargers received a boost with the return of Pro Bowl fullback Lorenzo Neal, who fractured a fibula at Tennessee on Dec. 9. Neal participated on a limited basis and his status is still in doubt, but he said he wants to play and his teammates sounded encouraged.

"Just having him back out there, a lot of us, it was almost disbelief just seeing him out there," said running back LaDainian Tomlinson. "A lot of people went over, messing with him, 'Who's the new guy? Who's the new guy? Oh, Lorenzo's back.' We're happy to have him back."

.....

Kaeding, a fourth-year pro out of Iowa, switched his practice jersey number from 10 to 21 in honor of his college teammate, Colts safety Bob Sanders, who was named Monday as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.

"That's a compliment to Bob that I'm wearing his jersey," the 2007 Pro Bowl kicker said. "Bob came in the same year as I at Iowa. A lot of good memories with him. He's a good dude. I'm happy for his success."

The skinny 6-0, 187-pound Kaeding was amused when asked if he portrayed Sanders on the scout team.

"I do a very good Bob Sanders look in practice," he said jokingly. "I was hoping they would put me in there to do that because I'm of similar athletic ability as Bob. But they didn't want me to do that."

Fullback Lorenzo Neal practiced for the first time since fracturing his fibula against the Titans on Dec. 9.

"I think it's mostly just confidence, just being out there, you know, getting back in the feel of the game and just knowing your assignments,'' Neal said. "I mean, football doesn't change. You've got to just know who you're blocking and just work on the technique.

"Today was just one of those days you just wanted to get, for myself personally, just get my feet back under me and get my timing back and just go out there and execute and minimize my mental mistakes and that's what it's about."

He said he's not worried about the leg holding up -- "I don't think it's going to break, because you've got screws, you've got plates holding it together," he said -- and the first day back was mostly about regaining his confidence and getting his timing and feel back.

If he can play, the regular lead blocker for LaDainian Tomlinson said he's not going to leave anything behind.

"I don't want to be a selfish player and just say I'm out here to show everyone I'm able to come back from an injury," he said. "It's not about that. It's about the Chargers. It's bigger than me. It's about winning, and I'm not going to go out there if I don't give my team a chance to win. If I'm out there on the field, I'm not holding back."

Think Peyton Manning will throw six interceptions against the Chargers this time? Me neither. And even in that game, the Colts were still in position to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but Adam Vinatieri missed a 29-yard field goal. For a team that is the defending champs (and arguably better than last year, especially on defense) with a 13-3 record, the Colts aren't really getting any attention. Which probably suits the Colts. As much as the Chargers have improved on both sides of the field in the second half of the season, I'm just not convinced they can go into Indianapolis and win. And just to pile on, there's the Norv Turner factor. Were you impressed with San Diego's 17-6 win over Tennessee last week? For the most part, the Chargers struggled at home against an injury-hampered team that barely made the playoffs. While Indianapolis is the better team, this is also more about what San Diego can't do more than what the Colts can do.

1. Tom Brady -- The league's newly minted MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

2. Peyton Manning -- Somehow overlooked this season despite winning one more game in the regular season than he did during the Colts' Super Bowl run of last year (13-3 to 12-4).

3. Brett Favre -- A renaissance season for the ages for No. 4.

4. Eli Manning -- Riding two games worth of confidence and momentum into Dallas. :icon_shrug::icon_huh:

5. Tony Romo -- One touchdown pass, five interceptions, five sacks, three fumbles, one sore thumb and one over-exposed girlfriend (you know what we mean) in his past three games. For a second straight December, he went from Romo to No-Mo (as in, no momentum).

6. Matt Hasselbeck -- He owns four playoff wins in the past three seasons, and that's more than all but Peyton Manning among this group of passers.

7. David Garrard -- Pretty shaky first career playoff start last week at Pittsburgh, but he's coming off a superb and highly underappreciated season.

8. Philip Rivers -- A strong second half against Tennessee not only saved the Chargers, but it made Rivers the first San Diego quarterback since Stan Humphries (remember him?) to win a playoff game.

latter there's this:

One more potentially revealing nugget: The Patriots are 4-0 in the divisional round when they're either first- or second-seeded. The Colts are 0-2 in the same situation, losing to Tennessee in '99 as the No. 2 seed and to Pittsburgh in '05 as the No. 1. The Pats and Colts are 1-2 in this year's AFC.

As we approach Sunday’s showdown between the Colts and Chargers, Tony Dungy and his squad will say all the right things to the media. They’ll talk about how great LaDainian Tomlinson is, how well the Chargers are playing, and what a solid, young quarterback Philip Rivers is.

While these things may be true, Dungy and the Colts’ defense must be chomping at the bit to get inside the heads of Rivers and Tomlinson early and often.

Yes, the Chargers are riding a seven-game win streak, but if you’ve been paying attention, Rivers and Tomlinson — who bicker more than a married couple — are a train wreck waiting to happen.

... My eldest son, John, has invited me to tailgate with his friends, but I never took him up on it until several home games ago. I've been going to Chargers affairs at Qualcomm Stadium since it opened, but never had I ventured into the sea of powder-blue tents on the outer ring of the parking lot, where the patrons eat and drink and barbecue and have a grand time.